BELGIUM - WALK AND TRAPPIST BEER

Founded about 60 year ago, the “Association des Sentiers de Grande Randonnée” (long distance footpath) offers hikers a network of over 5,000 routes in Wallonia and Brussels. The association recently launched a 300km itinerary in the South of Belgium to link through beautiful forests and valleys three abbeys famous amongst the beer lovers for their “Trappist” beer – Chimay, Rochefort & Orval! As you walk from abbey to abbey, discover Walloon Trappist beers (and other delicious monks products) where everything started centuries ago!

Some info about Trappist beers:

A Trappist beer is not equal to an Abbey beer! A “Trappist” has to satisfy a number of strict criteria:

The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.

The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life

The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture. The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.

Of all the beers in the world, only eleven may carry the name “Trappist” – 6 from Belgium (Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle), 2 from Holland (Zundert, La Trappe), 1 from Austria (Stift Engelszell), 1 from Italy (Tre Fontane) and 1 from USA (Spencer).